Friday Five highlights music by Washtenaw County-associated artists and labels.

This edition features indie folk-pop by Lily Talmers, bluegrass-country indie by Brawny Lad, hip-hop by Prol'e, death metal from Crypt Watcher, and jazz-classical hybrids from Akropolis Reed Quintet.

Lily Talmers, It Is Cyclical, Missing You
I've expressed my appreciation for Lily Talmers' talents for many years now and the U-M grad's latest album confirms my affirmations. (It's good to be right when you're right.). A lot of my praise has focused on her unique voice—somewhere between a vintage jazz singer and a classic country crooner alongside something sui generis and unquantifiable a la Björk (without sounding anything like Björk). Talmer's poetic lyrics will enchant you, too, and she can walk the line between little quips and devastating insights in the space of a verse. But one thing I haven't talked about: Talmer's a terrific guitar player. Her comfort with the six-string allows her to insert all sorts of surprising chords into her tunes as well as structure her songs in ways that don't get stitched up in verse-chorus-verse repetitions. It Is Cyclical, Missing You is filled with 13 songs that will wedge into your brain immediately, but repeated listens reveal the depth of these compositions and arrangements, which will have musicologists scratching their chins in appreciation.

Talmers is based in Brooklyn, New York, these days, but Ann Arbor native Aidan Cafferty (bass) and U-M grads Ben Greene (trumpet) and Nicole Patrick (percussion) appear on this record. It Is Cyclical, Missing You was recorded over four days in a Queens, New York laundromat that's been refurbished into a living space, which gives the album a live, unadorned sound.

Brawny Lad, Brawny Lad
This Ypsi trio makes bluegrass- and country-informed music, but Brawny Lad's self-titled debut album is also one step removed from these genres—though I can't quite figure out why. The combined talents of Tom McCartan (bass, vocals), Davey Jones (banjo, voice), and Tom Green (pedal steel) evoke mountain music made by city folk who also like the aesthetics of indie rock. That's reflected—consciously or subconsciously—in McCartan's mostly non-twangy voice, the way Jones plays his banjo for melody and accents rather than speed as in so much bluegrass, and the Lad's use of horns and strings in arrangements that aim for melancholy beauty rather than the syrupy sentimentality you often hear in country. Two great songs from an earlier single, "I Did Not Win" and "Leo," open and close the record, and the six tunes in between are excellent as well. "Where Is Gregory?" opens with a couple of call-outs to longtime Washtenaw County music members: "Hey, there is Jim Roll / the captain of football endzones / And Matt Jones / purveyor of old bones and tones." The tune drops a few more names, too, but I'm not sure who Gregory is (and no, I don't know where he is, either). Brawny Lad's Brawny Lad makes me feel like a brawny lad who's in touch with his emotions considering how much I adore this band's sound.

Prol'e, Do More EP
Ypsi rapper and singer Prol'e returns with an EP produced by Skeyes, who creates blunted-out beats that sound woozy and trippy. Prol'e's lyrics cover dealing dope ("Jump the Gun"), romance ("Interlude"), and day-to-day struggles ("That's Real"), all delivered with his spacey, subdued vocals, whether rapping or crooning.

Crypt Watcher, Cemetery EP
Crypt Watcher, "Harbor"
This new Ann Arbor death-metal band comes out swinging—prolly with an ax considering the song "Chopped Up Beyond Recognition"—on the first four songs unleashed to the public.

Akropolis Reed Quintet with Pascal Le Boeuf and Christian Euman, Are We Dreaming The Same Dream?
Ann Arbor's Akropolis Reed Quintet, which formed at U-M in 2009, won a Grammy on February 2 for its song "Strands" off the album Are We Dreaming The Same Dream? The song and the album, with pianist/composer Pascal Le Boeuf, and drummer Christian Euman, is a jazz-classical hybrid, and "Strands" has a particular Charles Ives meets Leonard Berstein at the Village Vanguard vibe. The musicians also big-upped Charles Mingus, Geri Allen, and Dave Brubeck in the promo materials—all Americans—but there's also a lovely ECM Records-style European chamber-jazz energy throughout the album.
 

Christopher Porter is a library technician and the editor of Pulp.